Erratum to: Reducing the Floor Effect in the SF-6D: A Feasibility Study

Applied Research in Quality of Life -     

Reducing the Floor Effect in the SF-6D: A Feasibility Study

The SF-6D suffers from a floor effect where for patient groups in severe health a significant number of patients report the lowest level of health possible for some dimensions, meaning the SF-6D cannot capture a deterioration in health for these patients. This paper presents a feasibility study aimed at reducing this floor effect. A modified SF-6D classification system was proposed that incorporated an additional level in each of the physical functioning and role limitations dimensions. The modified classification system was valued by a Portuguese general population sample (n = 140) using the Portuguese SF-6D protocol. A sample of 82 health states were valued and several regression models were estimated to produce preference weights to predict health state values for all states defined by the modified classification system. Estimations at the individual level were performed using 950 health state valuations. Models were analyzed in terms of logical consistency of coefficients, overall fit and predictive ability and were compared to Portuguese SF-6D models. The additional severity levels included in the modified classification system have significant decrements in health state values. These additional severity levels do not significantly impact on the modelled preference weights (the regression coefficients) of other levels across all dimensions. This feasibility study modified the SF-6D to reduce the floor effect. This study presents one option and further research in this area is encouraged.     

Family–oriented treatment for people with alcohol problems in Ireland: a comparison of the effectiveness of residential and community–based programmes

Using a naturalistic design involving consecutive referrals self–selected for family–oriented treatment, forty–two participants from a residential programme and twenty–five participants from a community–based programme were assessed on a range of alcohol–use and psychosocial measures before treatment. A proportion of these cases were assessed after treatment and at six months'follow–up. At six months' follow–up 79 per cent of both the residential and community groups were either abstinent or drinking moderately. However, more members of the residential group (75 per cent) were abstinent at follow–up compared with the community group (36 per cent). In contrast, more members of the community group were moderate drinkers (43 per cent) at follow–up compared with the residential group (4 per cent). At six months' follow–up, compared with the community group, more members of the residential group showed a clinically significant reduction in recent negative consequences of drinking and psychological adjustment problems. Both groups made significant mean gains on indices of alcohol abuse and psychosocial adjustment but there were important intergroup differences. The residential group showed a greater mean reduction in recent negative consequences from drinking but the community group showed a greater mean reduction in the percentage of days' heavy drinking.